Please plan to attend the town hall meeting

If you live in the Leawood Homes Association you should have received your yellow post card in the mail by now. Please plan to attend this meeting on September 24. You will have the opportunity to comment on the final Architectural Standards before they are implemented.
Your support is greatly appreciated, I hope to see you all there. Please review the Standards prior to coming to the meeting at www.leawood.org (click under HOA and then Leawood HOA).

Design Matters

I was recently given a copy of The Value of Design which was written by Marianne Cusato.

Marianne Cusato, a thought leader in the fields of architectural and urban design, is known for her emphasis on building better—not bigger.

Ranked the No. 4 most influential person in the home building industry in Builder magazine's annual “Power on 50” list, Cusato and her design principles are changing the landscape of the housing industry.

This book explains exactly what I've been trying to articulate. There is a way to keep our neighborhood, Old Leawood, alluring. It's called good design. Good design adds value to an individual home and to a community as a whole.

This book is a great resource for city officials, builders, architects, Realtors and homeowners. It covers aspects of function, cost and design. It pays great attention to less is more, common sense and adding value with design.

I was particularly interested in the Preservation - Valuing What We Already Have section of the book. I thought this paragraph was right on:

The value of our existing older communities cannot be overstated. As a society we have developed a bad habit of tearing down existing fabric, only to replace it with new structures that often lack any relationship to the street or contribution to the community. Across America, nice old homes are being torn down and replaced with giant McMansions that gobble up entire lots and leave the street scape looking like a patchwork quilt. Every time we lose a nice old house, our communities lose value.

So if you're building, remodeling or are just curious to the effects good design has on our lives and communities, I encourage you to get your hands on this wonderful book!

A copy of this book can be purchased through Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Marianne%20Cusato&page=1

we are making a difference

I'm often asked, by those with signs in their yards, if we're making a difference. I received an email this week and I'd like to share it with you here:

I wanted to write and commend you for the work you are doing to save the character and charm of Old Leawood. We were driving through the area last Saturday as we are thinking of purchasing a house there. We went down one street and I saw this huge new house on a small lot and I thought "Oh no, they're tearing down the ranch houses and putting in houses like you would see in South JoCo." Then we started noticing the yard signs about preserving Old Leawood. We weren't exactly sure what they were about so we can home and looked it up on the internet. I was pleasantly surprised to find your site.

I hope your work and those of your neighbors will put a stop to the developers wanting to build homes that are so out of place. We love the area and hope to become part of the neighborhood in the near future. Good luck to you on your fight to save Old Leawood.

Patti Mason

Thank you Patti Mason for your kind email and thank you to all of those that have been a huge part of this experience.

People do look to Old Leawood for charm and character. Let's not disappoint them by destroying the character of this beautiful area.

Leawood is a tree city

Did you know that Leawood is considered a Tree City?

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, Leawood is listed as a Tree City.

This means that we plant, nurture and celebrate our trees. There are also other benefits to being a Tree City. So why is it ok that we allow these builders to tear down the trees?

Are you a builder ? Or do you plan to remodel? Did you know that the Arbor Day Foundation has information about building with trees? They even have 7 tips to help you successfully build with trees.

Some great information can be found at the Arbor Day Foundation site....in case you didn't know.

trees benefit everyone

I often hear from builders and people that put on additions "the trees are going to have to go to make way for the house". I say, create a smaller house and keep the trees....call me a tree hugger, I've been called worse.

Trees, especially these large 50 year old Oak trees provide countless benefits. If you're unsure of the benefits that trees give to us check out what the Heartland Tree Alliance says about tree benefits.

Center for Urban Forest Research is also a good source. As well as Tree Link.

If the trees in our neighborhood are a big concern to you (they should be to all of us) and you are looking for a way to get involved please contact me at www.traybella@hotmail.com

poll results

Thank you to the 61 people that chose to vote on the poll I had running regarding what concerned you most about teardowns and rebuilding in Old Leawood. I wanted to get a feel for what mattered most and the results are:

Size and scale: 55%
Community Character: 63%
Effects on the Environment: 26%
and
22% of those voted don't care, they think it will happen regardless.

People were able to vote for more than one concern which is why the total %'s are more than 100.

Thank you for your imput.

more yard signs

More yard signs have arrived!

If you would like to show your support by having a sign in your yard please contact me at www.traybella@hotmail.com and I'll be sure and get a sign in your yard.

Thank you to those who currently have signs in their yards. Your support has been great and it's obvious that people do care about the future of Old Leawood.

guidelines meeting

Yellow post cards were mailed out this week announcing the Architectural Guidelines Meeting.

The post card reads WEDNESDAY, MAY 20.

The meeting is actually on TUESDAY, MAY 20. 7 p.m. at Meadowbrook Country Club.

leawood is on the map

Anyone that can see or hear can tell that Old Leawood is a neighborhood experincing teardowns.

Things like dumpsters, dump trucks, cement mixers and johhny on the spots temporarily cluttering up our views. The beep, beep, beep of bulldozers at 7:00am (on the dot!) wake us and remind us that this isn't just some bad dream. It is real. And on most days it is real annoying.

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Leawood, Mission Hills, Prairie Village and Roeland Park are all on the map for being neighborhoods experiencing teardowns. I would typically love seeing "Leawood" in print and especially being known for something nationally. But being on this list, in my opinion, isn't a good thing.

I often hear people say about teardowns in Old Leawood that "it has happened in Mission Hills, Fairway, Prairie Village blah blah blah....." Oh, by all means then let's jump on the the same trend??! And because other neighborhoods have gone before us, does that some how make it right??!

Those that care about this neighborhood can see where I'm coming from. For those that are in it because their financial well being depends on it see it from a different point of view. Like them or not, ranch houses are a part of American history. The fact that people just tear them down to make way for a south JOCO house is ridiculous. Build with character, don't overbuild, and please don't take away all of the green space and trees that this neighborhood is known for.

There has to be some happy medium out there. A balance of some sort. But what is it? Your comments are welcome.

more signs on the way

Another order for signs has been placed and they should be here within the next week. Support for this awareness has been incredible. Thank you to those that have asked for signs in your yard, made contributions for more signs, and are concerned about the future of Old Leawood.

The signs have brought a huge awareness to this issue. It's a small step and we still have a long way to go, but changes are being made and hopefully the end result will be a neighborhood that everyone is happy with.

Remember anyone can add comments here on the blog. What are your needs, likes, dislikes? It's going to take all of us to make a difference. Thank you!

leawood planning commission agenda

The city Residential Architectural Ordinance (CASE 54-06) is up on the Planning Commision agenda for public hearing Tuesday, May 13. They should be proposing their height and massing requirements at this meeting. You can check out the agenda here. This will be very important to us, especially when it goes to City Council. Plan to attend Tuesday's meeting if you can. 6:00pm at Leawood City Hall Council Chambers.

guidelines meeting scheduled

May 20th

7:00pm

Meadowbrook Country Club

Please plan on attending the guidelines meeting on Tuesday, the 20th of May. Review the guidelines prior to the meeting and come prepared with your comments. This is your chance to make a difference...don't miss it!

stolen signs

It has been brought to my attention that "Neighbors for Preservation of Old Leawood" signs were stolen this weekend out of some neighbors yards.

One neighbor said that five minutes after her sign was placed in her yard, a middle aged woman drove up, yanked the sign out of the yard, chucked it into her trunk and then drove off.

The support for this cause has been overwhelming. For those of you wanting signs for your yard, we'll hopefully be placing another order this week. Just contact me at www.traybella@hotmail.com and we'll add your address to the list.

If you have a sign in your yard, please make sure that it is 6 feet from the curb.

results of the may 1st meeting

We had a nice turnout for the May 1st meeting. I would still like to see more of you there, and you'll have your chance at the next meeting.

Due to severe weather the meeting was adjourned early. Another meeting will be scheduled to comment on the guidelines. As soon as I here of the date, I'll post it here on the blog.

Thank you to those who came to support this effort.

definition, effects and strategies of teardowns

In doing more research on teardowns I came across Go To 2040.

It's a site developed by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. It not only covers the definition of a teardown, but it's effects on community character, economic costs and most importantly effects to the environment. It also list strategies on dealing with teardowns.

If you have a few minutes it's worthy of checking out.

we need your support

A meeting has been scheduled for May 1st at 7pm to discuss the revised building guidelines.

The meeting is at the Meadowbrook Country Club.

This is your opportunity, as a homeowner in the Leawood Homes Association, to show your support. Please plan on attending this meeting so your imput can be included in this pivitol decision of the future of our neighborhood. See you there at 7:00!

Please review the guidelines here prior to coming to the meeting.

yard signs are sprouting up

Neighbors for the preservation of Old Leawood signs are sprouting up all over.

These signs were created to help with the awareness of what is happening in Old Leawood. It's also a way for homeowners to show their support in accepting growth in our neighborhood and trying to find a balance between the old and the new.

In addition the signs are a way to let people know about this blog. They can then ask questions, leave comments and keep up with what is happening in Old Leawood.

Do you want to show your support by having a sign in your yard? Contact me at traybella@hotmail.com/ and let me know you're interested!

9216 Cherokee Lane

9216.... used to hold a ranch house and two huge oak trees. The house went up for sale, a builder bought it, and then the house was demolished. Along with the house, two old beautiful trees were pushed over, chopped up and hauled away.

Word went around that a 6,000 square foot house was going to be built. When I heard that I thought there is no way I'm going to have that in my backyard. So I created a petition and gathered signatures from surrounding homeowners. The petition was for people who believed that the new proposed house was not keeping within the look or scale of surrounding houses.

Meetings were held that included homeowners, the builder, the architect, and members of the Leawood Homes Association. Clarification was made that the house was NOT going to be 6,000 square feet. The photo below is the original proposed drawing.


And the photo here is the result of neighbors sticking together and speaking up for what they want the future of this neighborhood to be. Still not keeping within the character of the neighborhood, but a few changes were made and the overall height did come down by 3 feet.

Because this proposed house met all of the architectural guidelines it was given the approval to build.

Neighbors are still not happy with the size and look of the house. There is still a petition for this property. Thank goodness this house is not the 6,000 square feet that we all thought. But even at 3800 square feet it is extremely larger than the surrounding 2000 square foot (average) ranch houses. With it's protruding garage (also known as a snout nose) and unwelcoming tunnel to the front door it just doesn't fit the streetscape of the surrounding houses. I suppose the plus to this house will come to the new homeowner. The lack of backyard, since the house takes up most of it, will be less to mow.

Just because Old Leawood has large lots, do we really have to fill them with huge houses? Some say that all of this tearing down and rebuilding is good for the neighborhood and that it's smart growth. Tearing down a smaller house to build a bigger house only adds square footage. Not to mention all the material that was sent to the landfill. This doesn't sound like smart growth to me.

So now our goal is to get existing guidelines changed so that the house being built at 9216 doesn't become the norm of this neighborhood. It won't happen overnight, it will take some time. It's a community effort and everyone has to do their part.

What do you think of 9216? Leave your comments here on this post.

Or you can contact the Builder, John Gray, at http://www.johngrayhomes.com/contactus.php or contact Rick Jones, the Architect, at info@nspjarch.com and let them know what you think.

we can all make a difference

My reason for creating this blog is to bring awareness to the homeowners of the Leawood Homes Association. It's also my way of trying to make a difference.

I care about this neighborhood, it's large lots, and big trees. Instead of sitting and watching this teardown boom progress, I decided to create a source that homeowners could view for finding helpful information. I've included helpful sites, links to our Homes Association, a recommended reading list and will continue to add posts of useful information.

This blog is also a place for you to ask questions or leave your comments. Each post has a place where you can add your own comments and I encourage you to do so.

I am excited about the growth in Old Leawood. But there has to be a balance from what the original Kroh Brothers created , character and charm, to a new comfortable home that is desired by homeowners today. There is room for updated, larger homes in our neighborhood. They just need to fit into the streetscape of the existing homes. Thank you in advance for your participation. Together, we can make a difference.